 A spokesperson for the Iranian military said this week that the country viewed cyber war as MORE dangerous than physical attacks. President Obama was the victim of cyber crime in 2008, with hackers rifling through his campaign website and stealing emails in an attack the President described as a 'powerful reminder' of the scope of cyber crime. But the President is also widely suspected of having personally issued orders regarding the Stuxnet worm, a sophisticated attack which targeted Iran's Busehr nuclear plant, with the aim of destroying equipment by spinning it out of control. David Sanger's book Confront and Conceal alleges that the President was not only fully aware of the attack, he ordered it to continue after the worm spread beyond the initial computers it was built to target. America is widely thought to be the 'world leader' in cyber weaponry - with a history of hi-tech attacks that stretches back to a CIA attack on a Russian oil pipeline, thought to be have been blown up with corrupted software in 1982. One of the predecessors of the internet, ARPANET, was funded by a wing of the U.S military. The same wing's successor, DARPA - the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency - is currently soliciting bids for a new Plan X capability to help with 'managing cyberwarfare'. Defence companies are open - at least off the record - about the fact there are 'black' versions of the defensive software and hardware they sell to governments and private enterprise. These are the test-beds built to refine cyber weapons. More than 100 nations are thought to be developing some kind of cyber weapon capability. 'It's a very complex problem,' says Kevin Haley, Norton's Director of Security Response, 'There need to be treaties about cyberspace, and more rules around this. There needs to be more regulations - and more enforcement of existing laws.' At present, cyberspace is something of a Wild West - with states able to disown cyber attacks as the work of rogue individuals. As a result, it's often difficult to tell whether 'cyber war' is an illusion dreamed up by defence companies - or whether it's already happening. Chinese hackers penetrated Nasa systems including ones used to manoeuvre the International Space Station. The Chinese government has always denied any association with such cyber attacks, but it is suspected of having been behind cyber attacks stretching as far back as 2003 and the sustained 'Titan Rain' attacks against US companies. In 2011, U.S. government accounts were penetrated by hackers in China, after their Google Mail accounts were hacked. The targeting of government officials led many to suspect the Chinese government was involved - and the attacks originated in Jinan, home of the Chinese army's 'Technical Reconnaissance Bureaus.' 'Blaming these misdeeds on China is unacceptable,' said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei after the attacks. 'Hacking is an international problem and China is also a victim. The claims of so-called support for hacking are completely unfounded.' Google's Mail service now has a specific warning that states, 'We believe state-sponsored attackers are attempting to compromise your account.' 'When we have specific intelligence—either directly from users or from our own monitoring efforts—we show clear warning signs,' Google said in a blog post. 'Today, we're taking that a step further for a subset of our users, who we believe may be the target of state-sponsored attacks.' A series of linked attacks by Russian cyber attackers blacked out banks, newspapers, comment websites and government websites in Estonia in 2007, after a dispute between the two countries over the relocation of a Soviet-era grave marker. It was widely speculated that the Kremlin had ordered the attacks. With other attacks, the sheer sophistication of the software hints that nations must have been involved. Run-of the-mill hackers don't spend $1 million up front on software - the amount the Stuxnet worm is thought to have cost to develop. It is thought to have taken at least six months to create. Stuxnet is thought to have been part of a family of related malicious software packages - including Duqu, used to steal data from computers in the Middle East, all created by governments, perhaps the United States in collaboration with other powers. In cyber war, governments will have a serious advantage over smaller groups. But the sheer unpredictability of 'rogue' hackers may give them an advantage the lumbering machinery of government can't deal with. 'The challenge with hacktivist groups,' says Norton's Director of Security Response, Kevin Haley, 'Is that they are a non-state actor. So far, they haven't achieved great things - they have stolen people's logins and passwords and launched denial of service attacks. But we don't know where they will attack - or what.' |
Is the world on the brink of cyber war?
Paris Motor Show 2012: Superfast cars
They are fast, they are furious and they are the jaw-droppers of any car show. Here we showcase some of the stunning supercars on display in the City of Light.
Hints are all that have been dished out to the world, with 600bhp per tonne and 'more than 240mph' among them. McLaren is designing this to be the 'Ultimate Car', with F1-sourced drag reduction systems and extremely advanced materials so that every panel has aerodynamic purpose. Prepare to want one. Badly.
Unveiled initially as a mad concept that wiped the floor with conventional supercars in an unofficial 'street' race in an Middle Eastern city, the flurry of large cheques being signed on the spot meant Nissan had no choice but to build it for real. Underneath the skin it's a 2012 GT-R - the Italians should worry.
Speaking of the Italians, here's the new Gallardo. It's very much like the old one except the exterior styling wick seems to have been turned down a notch. The interior quality is very high quality though, and obviously customers should expect enough brutal performance to melt their trousers.
After what must have been a mighty drinking session, Mercedes and AMG decided the SLS wasn't hard enough. Cue a GT racing programme-inspired uber-SLS; stiffer, tauter and lighter. Biblical performance comes from an uprated 583bhp 6.2-litre V8, and the noise should be epic.
This is the company's new performance flagship, and what more do you need to know? Top speed is over 200mph, power reaches a staggering 616bhp and 100mph is dispatched in nine seconds flat. Luxury is a Bentley priority as ever, and the GT Speed is as stacked with it.
 If there are any R8 V10 owners out there who just don't think their car is quite fast enough, there's this. It's lighter and faster, with an improved 543bhp V10 engine slung up behind the seats along with a new set of vital stats: 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and a top speed knocking on the door of 200mph.
Anyone who likes their acceleration delivered in one massive torque-laden chunk will hold the Corvette as a firm favourite. A huge engine and long gearing give this incredibly rapid American the sort of relentless, hilarious acceleration that a group of people wearing cardigans are probably trying to have banned.
The Carrera 4 and 4S are new at Paris, maintaining the tradition of coming with a wider body than the rear-wheel-drive Carrera and S. There's no doubt it's a more shapely car, and with lap times tumbling from the previous generation's best, the 911 is more of a classic than ever.
Not much needs to be said about the F12. A brand new V12 engine pushing out 730bhp at over 8,000rpm makes it one of the fastest supercars in the business, aerodynamic downforce of 123kg at 124mph makes it devastating on tracks and the way it looks… well, just look at it. |
This is Porsche's performance-biased four-wheel-drive Panamera, built as much for oversteering around racetracks as it is for cruising up the M1. Power is a relatively modest 424bhp but the way the big Porsche delivers it is devastating. Lots of traction means huge acceleration.
iPhone 5 defines Apple success, Tim Cook-style
Tim Cook is no Steve Jobs when it comes to leading Apple Inc (NSQ:AAPL). As the debut of the new iPhone 5 just proved, that may not be a bad thing. The taller, thinner and lighter phone prompted a rush on Wall Street to raise price targets for Apple stock, but the optimism was not because of a big technological advance or design breakthrough; the "wow" factor that was the trademark of the late Apple co-founder Jobs was decidedly absent. Rather, it was the speed of the global launch that astounded, validating the new CEO's much-touted wizardry at the essential but unglamorous task of managing a supply chain. "We are positively surprised regarding the pace of the rollout, since we had expected a bigger impact from component constraints," Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes said. By next Friday, the iPhone 5 will be in 31 countries, and will be in 100 by the end of the calendar year. That would be 30 more than the rollout of the predecessor phone, the 4S, over a similar period, Jeffries analyst Peter Misek calculated. That means Apple has worked out supply constraints and inked deals now with 240 carriers. It will get enough phones out the door in the next 10 days to have a material effect on earnings.
"His skills fit the time period and the flow of product," said Raymond Miles, professor emeritus at Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, adding that Apple may be at a stage where it needs "someone with a production vision." The iPhone launch offers some other, subtler indications of how Apple is changing under Cook. In public events, Jobs stood out in his black turtleneck, an d performed carefully crafted one-man stage shows. At the press event for the iPhone 5, Cook blended into a pack of executives all sporting a uniform of jeans and untucked casual dress shirt. Indeed, one might say that practical, low-flash, but high-impact actions are emerging as the Cook trademark. He has introduced a dividend to pay out part of the more than $100 billion cash stockpile, raised salaries for a rabidly loyal but low-paid workforce in the Apple stories, and sped up product rollouts. Under Cook, more Wall Street analysts have been invited to headquarters to talk to executives, particularly Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer and head of Internet services Eddy Cue. Cook himself addressed investors at a Goldman Sachs conference, a rarity for Apple executives, and initiated investigations into allegations of labor abuse in its supply chain. APPLE MAPS PROBLEMS Insiders say he is a refreshing presence after the prickly Jobs, who was admired but feared. Cook is also known for his ability to track vast amount of data and zero in on a critical parameter. One person familiar with the CEO notes that under Cook, the company has continued to rapidly increase its revenue, retain all the senior executives, maintain its product rollout schedule and avoid huge blunders. On the flip side, the imbroglio over the sub-par mapping software in the iPhone 5 suggests that Jobs' obsessive perfectionism and attention to user experience is already being missed. Apple Maps, which offers soaring 'flyover' views of major cities, has displaced Google Maps on the new iPhone software. But the new program has no public transit directions, limited traffic information, and flat-out mistakes, such as putting one city in the middle of the ocean. "Apple made this maps change despite its shortcomings because they put their own priorities for corporate strategy ahead of user experience," said Anil Dash, a widely followed technology pundit, reflecting widespread annoyance and consternation. Jobs would have put the whole company to work on the problem, as each negative review of the widely used feature would have irked him, said the person familiar with Apple's inner workings. The issue facing Cook now is how fast he reacts to the Maps problem and how quickly it gets fixed, the person said. Jobs himself allowed email synchronization software MobileMe to launch in 2008, to deadly reviews. Fortune magazine reported Jobs telling the entire development group, "You should hate each other for having let each other down" and immediately replaced the group's head. "No CEO, not even Steve Jobs, would be able to catch all the problems in every new feature of a new complicated product, like the iPhone 5," said Harvard Business School professor David Yoffie. "The big question is how will Tim respond now?" More broadly, there is also the question of whether Apple under Cook can produce products that are revolutionary rather than evolutionary. His products thus far - the iPhone, the new iPod line and an expected iPad mini - represent improvements, rather than game changers. In the meantime, Cook is topping Jobs' sales record: IPhone 5 preorders hit 2 million in 24 hours, twice the level of the 4S, and analysts expect a smaller iPad mini in October. Investors do not seem to need much more convincing about Cook's ability to captain the ship: the average price target for Apple stock is now $763, up 6 percent from a month ago, thanks to analysts raising targets in the wake of the "wow-less" launch event. |
How hackers turn YOU into a cyber criminal
For around $3 a day, you can 'rent' a swarm of PCs around the world - untraceable 'slave' machines which you use to browse illegal sites, send spam or launch cyber attacks. One of the bitterest ironies of cyber crime is that if you are duped into clicking on a spam email, one of the first things that could happen after illegal software has flooded into your computer, is that you'll become a spammer yourself. Once computers are remote-controlled by cyber criminals, they are referred to as 'zombies' - and for many criminals, the real value in an infected PC is over the long haul. Gangs tend to specialise. Some criminals will use software that steal bank account details. Others will compromise a PC, then put it up for auction to other criminals. But for all of them, the main goal is to stay 'at the helm' of the PC they've breached. 'They always make sure they're invisible,' says Orla Cox, Security Operations Manager at Symantec Security Response, 'They want to make sure they stay in your computer.' 'The hacker just wants control,' says Norton's Director of Security Response, Kevin Haley, 'Once he has control, he can use your machine to send spam, or to mount attacks.' Several reports have claimed that paedophiles use 'zombie' computers to remotely store child pornography, including an Associated Press investigation of dozens of such attacks. By the time the huge 'botnets' - networks of infected PCs controlled by spammers - are deactivated by the authorities, the gangs that control them have had ample warning to move their activities elsewhere. Botnets are so common that prices can be extremely low. A study found that renting 1,000 machines could be as little as $9 (£6) an hour in 2010 - and this year, prices for renting infected machines are as low as $3 a day, according to researchers from Kaspersky, analysing the TDLL-TDS-4 botnet. Payment is accepted via common credit cards such as MasterCard and Visa. High-profile 'DDOS' - distributed denial of service - attacks used to knock company websites off the internet, rely on the same 'botnets' - huge networks of zombie computers, which each send dozens or hundreds of requests to the site under attack. The confidence of some gangs in their weaponry is such that DDOS attacks are used to blackmail sites such as online bookmakers in the run up to major events - or simply in a hi-tech version of protection rackets. 'Hello. If you want to continue having your site operational, you must pay us 10 000 rubles monthly,' said one extortion letter sent out to web masters. 'Attention! Starting as of now our site will be a subject to a DDoS attack. Your site will remain unavailable until you pay us. The first attack will involve 2,000 bots. If you contact the companies involved in the protection of DDoS-attacks and they begin to block our bots, we will increase the number of bots to 50 000, and the protection of 50 000 bots is very, very expensive.' Zombie PCs also often become spammers themselves, sending out dozens of infected emails to friends, or even people you don't know - and building the botnets even further, as their criminal masters fade into the background. 'A huge amount of malware is still spread through email attachments,' says Orla Cox. 'Although there's an increase in high-tech methods such as 'drive-by downloads', where infected advertising banners and websites are used to spread malicious software, the 'traditional' way of spreading infection via spam is still hugely popular.' 'The social engineering is becoming cleverer,' says Cox. 'You'll receive a fake package order, fake invoices - but when you click on the attachment, your computer becomes infected.' Up-to-date protection software and an updated operating system such as Windows will help to defend against such infections before they occur - a much easier way to stay safe than the often-lengthy process of repairing the damage after it occurs. It's also worth noting that law enforcement won't treat you as a criminal if you are a victim of this sort of attack. But the best defence of all is, of course, not being a victim in the first place. |
Pictures of the Week
Stunning images of the natural world, the tour by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as violent protests around the globe were among the photographs which made their way to prominence this week
This fascinating image was highly commended in the Zoological Society of London's Animal Photography Prize exhibition. 'Monkey Snapper'.
Called 'Curiosity' this photo shows a diver swimming alongside a whale
Filmmaker Chris Tangey had been out in Alice Springs, Australia, scouting locations for a new movie when he witnessed one of nature's rarest phenomena - a fire tornado.
Waiting patiently: Apple fans queue for the new iPhone 5 at the Apple store in Regent Street, London.
An Occupy Wall Street activist stands with a dollar bill over his mouth during demonstrations on the one-year anniversary of the movement in New York.
A Muslim protester shouts slogans during a protest in front of the U.S. embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia. There has been ongoing anger worldwide over an anti-Islam video made in the U.S.
Demonstrators shout slogans as they march with Chinese national flags and banners near the Japanese consulate during a protest on the 81st anniversary of Japan's invasion of China, in Shanghai.
Residents are baffled after council contractors painted a stretch of double yellow lines - just 21 inches long. Motorists will be fined £50 or £70 if they park on the lines in Canterbury, Kent, which aren't even big enough to park a skateboard.
A model displays a creation from the Prada Spring/Summer 2013 collection at Milan Fashion Week
A model poses for photographers backstage before the Blumarine Spring/Summer 2013 collection at Milan Fashion Week.
Celebrity chef Nick Nairn has cooked a special porridge breakfast for nine-year-old food blogger Martha Payne. Martha was banned by her council from blogging about her meals at her school in Argyll and Bute. But the council later backtracked after a barrage of negative publicity. The youngster has so far raised helped raise more than £100,000 through her charity work.
Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, wave to Solomon Islanders as they leave the airport aboard a truck decorated as canoe in Honiara. William later inspected an honour guard of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force -- the Pacific nation has no military -- before the couple left for the capital in a motorcade.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge drink from a coconut during a visit to Tuvalu village during their tour of the Pacific. |
Top chef shortcuts to save you time in the kitchen
There's not always a great deal of time in the week to cook. Check out these time-saving tips that are often used in professional kitchens, but can also save you some time, too. Multi-task Chefs don't stand around waiting for water to boil or the oven to heat up. Do as they do and get on with other jobs in the meantime. Wash, peel and chop vegetables, lay the table or get the drinks ready. That way, as soon as everything's heated up, you can start cooking straight away and have dinner on the table in less time – because all the other jobs are done. Peel like a pro Peeling certain vegetables can be fiddly and time-consuming. Take a tip from Patrick Drake, former stagiaire at The Fat Duck and owner of Hello Fresh. For garlic, don't stand around picking at the papery skin with your fingers. "To do it more quickly," Patrick says, "place the flat side of a large knife on your garlic clove and give it a little whack." The skin will immediately split and fall off, leaving your garlic peeled in seconds. Ginger can be fiddly, too. "Put the samurai kitchen knife away and use the edge of a spoon instead," Patrick suggests. "Hold the ginger in one hand and the spoon in the other, then simply use the edge of the spoon to scrape off the skin. Minimal waste, minimal effort. Just the way we like it." Prepare ahead You'll be surprised at how much is pre-prepared in a professional kitchen, but this all saves time when the dinner rush is on. Potatoes can be peeled and chopped for making chips or for roasting – leave them in a bowl of water in the fridge and just drain and pat dry with a clean towel before using. Gravy, stuffing and salads can also be prepared in advance, saving you time later on. And with poached eggs, many restaurants cook them beforehand until runny, plunge into cold water and then reheat in boiling water when needed. A handy trick if you're cooking for lots of people. Choose foods that naturally cook quickly Fresh noodles and pasta might cost a little more, but if your priority is time, they cook in just a few minutes. Gnocchi only takes around three minutes to boil, so try this when time is tight instead of dried pasta, which can take around 10 minutes. Fish fillets generally cook quicker than meat, and seafood such as prawns and scallops cook even quicker. Also, slice vegetables and meat thinly for even speedier results in the kitchen. Get the kettle on Using a kettle to heat water will take far less time than waiting for it to boil on the stove. Next time you're boiling pasta, rice or vegetables, flick the kettle on and you'll have boiling water in around one to two minutes. Boil it from cold, on the hob, and expect to wait eight to nine minutes before you can tip in your pasta. Clear up as you go along Professional chefs always work in a clean, organized space, meaning they work quicker. Leave your vegetable peelings, empty packets and dirty chopping boards strewn across the worktop and you'll work less efficiently. Pop empty packets and peelings in the bin as you go along, and you'll also save yourself tidying up time afterwards. If you have some time while you're waiting for a lasagne to bake, for example, start washing up what you've used so far, instead of sitting down to watch TV. You'll have less clearing up to do at the end of the meal and can then sit down and relax. |
iPhone 5 Impresses Early Reviewers: Review Roundup
The iPhone 5 is set to hit store shelves on Sept. 21. A few lucky reviewers, however, have already gotten the chance to spend a few days with the device and craft their reviews of the latest-generation of the iconic smartphone. So what are they saying? Overall, reviewers are pretty impressed with the update. The phone's hardware has earned accolades from every reviewer across the board -- they love both how the new phone feels and looks. Reviewers also laud the iPhone's new 4-inch screen, although not all are in love with how some current apps -- not yet having been adjusted for its new size -- look on the latest device's screen. The same can be said for Apple's new Lighting connector, which is able to transfer data faster than Apple's previous connector. But the headache of not being able to use some accessories – and lack of support for iPod out, a specification used in many cars – was a problem for many. Here are some choice quotes from early reviews: Engadget: "Image quality is still among the best out there for a cameraphone, unimproved but quite impressive in varying conditions. What has improved, though, is the speed. Tap that big ol' thumb as quick as you can and the iPhone 5 will keep up, whereas the iPhone 4S eventually fell behind. It's at least on par with the Galaxy Nexus, which also has a ridiculously quick shooter." CNET: "The iPhone 5 is the iPhone we've wanted since 2010, adding long-overdue upgrades like a larger screen and faster 4G LTE in a razor-sharp new design. This is the iPhone, rebooted." The Loop: "If there is one problem I had with the iPhone, it would be with the apps that weren't designed for the larger screen. We're used to going to the bottom of the screen for the menu, but because the older apps are centered on the screen, the menus aren't there. I tap a few times before I realize I have to move my thumb up a little bit. It's a minor quirk that will go away as soon as the developers update their apps." All Things Digital: "I found the new iPhone screen much easier to hold and manipulate than its larger rivals and preferred it. In my view, Apple's approach makes the phone far more comfortable to use, especially one-handed." Slashgear: "The combination of the sturdy casing and premium materials means the iPhone 5 doesn't feel cheap. In fact, like a good haircut, picking up the new model doesn't feel like a drastic change or departure from what came before. It's familiar enough to be usable, consistent." Pocket lint: "It's the same iPhone, but it's completely different. That's the main takeaway point for the iPhone 5's design. It's something you can't really appreciate until you get up close and personal with the new phone, but when you do, wow, you'll really notice that difference." USA Today: "People have always had lofty expectations for the iPhone 5, especially as the competition stiffens. In delivering a fast, attractive, LTE-capable and larger-screen handset, Apple has met those expectations with a gem." At its launch event, Apple's vice president Phil Shiller described the iPhone 5 as "the most beautiful product we have ever made." The smartphone improves on the iPhone 4S by offering a larger 4-inch screen, faster processor, improved camera, LTE support, and a new lightning connector. Pre-orders for the phone topped 2 million in its first 24 hours of availability, setting a new record for Apple, and doubling the 1 million in sales done by the iPhone 4S in its first 24 hours of availability. AT&T has announced that the phone is the fastest-selling device in its history, emptying the carrier's virtual store shelves within an hour of being available for pre-order. |
GPS shoes use LED lights to guide you home
A London designer has created a pair of GPS-enabled shoes with LED lights that guide walkers home from anywhere in the world.  Dominic Wilcox has created a fully working prototype shoe which guides its wearer home (Picture: Dominic Wilco …The shoes communicate with each other as the wearer walks, and will guide the wearer home from any distance. The shoes are currently on display at an exhibition at KK Outlet in Hoxton Square in London, and were designed by Dominic Wilcox. There is no plan as yet to bring the shoes into full production, but the prototype is fully working now. Wilcox says, "I was commissioned by the Global Footprint project in Northamptonshire, a place famous for shoe making, to create some shoes. I decided to make a pair of shoes that can navigate you home where ever you are. "I thought about the Wizard of Oz and how Dorothy could click her shoes together to go home. After uploading your required destination to the shoes via a piece of custom made mapping software and a USB cable, the GPS, which is embedded in the heal, is activated by a heel click. "It then communicates to the wearer via a ring of LED lights to point in the required direction. The shoe with the GPS wirelessly communicates with the right shoe that has a progress bar of lights to show how close you are to the destination." "The progress bar starts with one red light at the beginning of the journey and ends on the green light when you arrive. The correct direction to walk is shown by the illumination of one of the LED's on the circle." |
How to make the most money from your old iPhone
The iPhone 5 is finally here. But before you get yours hands on one, here's how to get the most money for your old model.
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you can't have missed the buzz around the new iPhone 5, which was finally unveiled this week. It's the latest Apple product to be released and although you can't actually get your hands on it just yet, iPhone fans are already preparing to pay for the new phone by trading in their old models. After months of speculation details have now been made public about the new phone. On first glance it doesn't look that different to the iPhone 4S, but as "The biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone" (according to Apple) it has got a lot of extra gadgets thrown in. Firstly it's thinner and lighter than previous models with a larger, four-inch display and ultrafast wireless to make internet browsing and downloading a lot quicker. It also comes with an 'A6 chip' which helps improve the graphics, an 'iSight panoramic camera' and 'i06' – which Apple says is the world's most advanced mobile operating system. The launch date is 21st September – so be prepared for queues outside Apple shops on this date – and if you're planning on getting one you'll also need to pre-order from 14th September. All the mainstream providers are likely to stock the new phone although no tariffs have been released yet. How to get the best deal for your old iPhone If you're planning on getting the new model, either by buying it outright or through a contract, you can make some extra money by selling off your old model. Hundreds of people have already cottoned on to this and since July there's been a 400% increase in iPhone re-sales via mobile phone trade-in comparison site sellmymobile.com. On the site the iPhone 4S, 4 and 3S are the most popular handsets to trade in, but the amount you can get back has fallen by 10% since July so if you're looking to trade your old phone before getting the iPhone 5 you'll need to act fast. How much is my old phone worth? The iPhone 5 is set to retail at a hefty £529 for an unlocked 16GB version. This means if you can trade-in your old phone it'll cut a large sum off the price of the new handset. There are several trade-in (or recycling if you prefer) websites around and on sellmymobile.com the top price for a 64GB iPhone 4S across these sites is now £325. Older models will still fetch a pretty decent return of £172.61 for a 16GB iPhone 4 and £87 for a 16GB 3GS model. The bonus of using sellmymobile is that if you do find the phone you've traded in at a higher price on another website within 24 hours of the sale, it'll refund you double the difference. Top 10 most recycled phones
*source:sellmymobile.com Other options While it's a useful comparison, sellmymobile doesn't list all of the trade-in sites out there. You might also want to check the likes of Tesco Mobile Recycle and Mazuma Mobile. Offered a lower price? In the past lovemoney readers have said that some trade-in websites have contacted them with a lower price once they've received the phone, even for handsets that were in pefect working order. You can try to negotiate but if you're not happy ask for the phone to be sent back to you. You'll more than likely have to pay the return postage. eBay You could also try your luck on auction website eBay but a quick scan of the listings showed comparable, and in some cases lower, prices than we found on sellmymobile. The cheapest way to get a new phone There are many ways to buy a new phone but the cheapest is generally buying the handset up front and using a SIM-only tariff. As a SIM-only deal won't tie you into a long contract, you've got the flexibility of switching to better deals as and when they come along. As you've bought your phone direct from the retailer it will also be unlocked so you'll be able to make more money when you trade it in. If you don't have the money to do this, a longer contract will be best as the phone costs are then absorbed into monthly payments. |
Guinness World Records 2013
The world's largest biceps and triceps Guinness World Records-Here's a new take on the saying 'welcome to the gun show'. Moustafa Adel Ismail has the world's largest biceps and triceps; his right upper-arm circumference is 63.5 cm (25 in) flexed and 60.96 cm (24 in) non-flexed, and his left upper-arm circumference is 64.77 cm (25.5 in) flexed and 62.23 cm (24.5 in) non-flexed. Moustafa, trains six days a week and eats six meals a day, said: 'I have been working out for the last 11 years to get muscles this big'. He hopes his newfound fame will be the springboard to become a professional body builder and plans to compete in 'naturally enhanced body-building competitions. The oldest Gymnast: Johanna Quaas (Germany) – 86 years old
Guinness World Records-Johanna Quaas, 86, from Leipzig only began to train at gymnastics in her 50s and is now recognised as the world's Oldest Gymnast. In the last 30 years Johanna has won 11 major championships. To keep in shape for competition, Joanna has a strict exercise regime that involves a combination of gym workouts, running, and yoga. Johanna says that it's 'a great feeling to be in the Guinness World Records book. I hope the record inspires others to realise it's never too late to try something new. Heaviest Sportswoman: Sharran Alexander (UK) – 203.21 kg (32 stone)
Guinness World Records-Sharran Alexander, 46, stands 6ft tall, weighs 32 stone is Britain's only female sumo wrestler and is now the world's Heaviest Sportswoman. Sharran consumes 5,000 calories a day, and to build strength and stamina she swims and walks. Sharran said: 'I used to be ashamed of my size. But after taking up sumo I learned to love my body. The Guinness World Records recognition tops it off. Tallest Donkey: Oklahoma Sam (USA) - 155.45 cm (5ft 1 in)
Guinness World Records- mule named 'Oklahoma Sam' is today celebrating being crowned the 'Tallest Living Donkey' on the planet. Measuring 15.3 hands (155.45 cm; 5ft 1in) tall, she dwarfs the common donkey (8 hands high) and her own larger 'Mammoth Jackstock' breed (12 hands high). Sam's overall care is handled by 54-year-old Linda Davis, a keen gardener and animal lover. Linda, who calls Sam her 'soul mate', says: 'It actually doesn't cost anymore to have a donkey of this size. He doesn't eat more. In fact, if I give him more bale he'll just use it to make his bedding more comfortable. He loves his sleep. Tallest Dog: Zeus (USA) – 111.8 cm (44in)
Guinness World Records-Just look at the size of this dog. Zeus is a 3-year-old Great Dane from Michigan and measures an incredible 111.8 cm (44 in) from foot to withers: the same size as a donkey. Standing on hind legs, Zeus stretches to 7 ft 4 in and towers over his owner Denise Doorlag. Denise said: 'Zeus is an awesome dog,' says owner Denise. 'The only downside is that everything costs more; the food, medicines, transport. We had to get a van to be able to transport him, and if he steps on your foot- he leaves bruises. Shortest Bull: Archie (Northern Ireland) – 76.2 cm (30 in)
Guinness World Records-Archie, a 29-month-old Dexter from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is today recognised as the Shortest Bull in the world. He measures just 76.2 cm (30 in) from the hoof to the withers, 15 inches shorter than other bulls of his breed (typically 45 in). His height means that he's dwarfed by the other animals at his farm, including even the dogs and goats. |
Top 10 Tourist Spots of Pakistan
TAXILA
An important Hindu and Buddhist centre, Taxila was a great centre of learning which attracted students from far off lands. It came under Buddhist, Greek, and Persian influence, remnants of which remain. Bearing the tag of one of the ancient universities of India, Taxila, deriving its name from Taksa, the great gransdon of Bharata, is a World Heritage Site of UNESCO that lies 30 km from Islamabad. The capital of the Buddhist kingdom of Gandhara, it came under Persian rule in 326 BC and was later ceded to Alexander the Great. The Huns destroyed it around the 5th century BC. MAKRAN
Makran, a partial desert coastal strip in Balochistan, has some of the best and unspoiled beaches in the world. Running along the Arabian Sea, the coastline is envisaged as a centre for surfing and scuba diving. The rugged mountain strip and quiet fishing villages enhance its appeal as a remote and isolated tourist destination. Mohenjo-daro
Mohenjo-daro or "mound of the dead" in Sindha, was a huge settlement of the Indus Valley Civilization at around 2600 BC. One of the earliest well-organized habitations known to mankind, the excavations at the site reveal it to have been one of the most advanced townships in South Asia. The city was an engineering marvel and its planned layout talks of sophisticated town planning. Mohenjo-daro is also a World Heritage Site. A bronze statuette of a "dancing girl", said to be about 4500 years old, is the most famous face relating to Mohenjo-daro, which was excavated in 1926. Khyber Pass
Part of the ancient silk route, Khyber Pass links Peshawar in Pakistan with Kabul in Afghanistan. The mountain pass is part of the Hindu Kush range and has been the trade route between South and Central Asia. The Khyber Pass, at an elevation of 1070 metres, is the route through which the Aryans came to India, it is said. Alexander the Great and the series of Muslim invasions took place through the pass. One can have a glimpse of the famous Pashtun hospitality, culture, and cuisine, as it is they who mostly live here. Lahore
The capital of Punjab, Lahore has much more to it than being just 25 km away from the Wagah border. Lying on the Ravi river, Lahore has a rich cultural history that begs to be savoured. Culturally vibrant, the bazaars in the lanes and alleys of the city sell traditional ware such as hand-embroidered clothes, fabrics, leather good, trinkets, glass bangles, and beaten gold and silver jewelry. Full of mausoleums and monuments, the Shalimar Gardens, Lahore Fort and the Minar-e-Pakistan are three major tourist spots in a city also known for its food street, Gowalmandi, where the best of traditional Pakistani cuisine is available. Northern mountains
Snow-clad peaks, lead by K2, at 8611 metres, is the highest mountain in the world, running in northern Pakistan. Pristine valleys and glaciers make it a tourist paradise. The folk costumes, dances and culture of the people in these areas make travelling here a unique experience. The area also has some of the longest glaciers outside of the Polar region including the Siachen. The beautiful Swat Valley, made notorious by the Taliban, is part of the Hindu Kush range in the region. Shandur pass here houses the world`s highest polo ground. MughaL Heritage
Pakistan is full of Mughal architecture. Besides Lahore, important tombs, mosques, forts and other monuments dot the country. Multan, Derawar and Bahawalpur house some of them. Rani Kot Fort, located in Jamshoro district, Sindh, is the largest fort in the world. The Badashahi mosque opposite the Lahore Fort, the tombs of Jahangir, Akbari Sarai and Shah Jahan and the edicts of Shahbazgari and Mansehra rock edicts are among the important historical monuments. Deosai Plateau
One of the most beautiful regions of Pakistan, the Deosai plateau is the second highest plateau in the world next only to Tibet. Spring is the season to visit the place, as it bursts into a riot of colours with wild blooms. Fishing and camping sites abound. Enclosed by snow-clad peaks, the Nanga Parbat is visible from here. Edelweiss (flowers) carpet the area. Karimabad
It is to tourists from West Pakistan that Karimabad in Hunza valley caters to. Said to be one of the top tourist spots of the country, Karimabad is full of mountains, deep gorges and glaciers. The mountain slopes are covered with colourful flowers. Apricots grow in abundance here. The misleading name of Hunza water for an alcoholic drink is a popular local brew. The Rakaposhi mountain in the Karakoram range is the centre for adventures sports. Kalash Valley
Nestled in remote locations of Chitral District in the North West Frontier Province, the customs and lifestyle of the people of the Kalash Valley is like none other in the country. They are said to be the descendents of Alexander the Great. Some historians hold that they hail from Nuristan of Afghanistan. Their language has an Indo-European genesis with several dialects. Folklore, songs and epics abound as part of their oral tradition. They have quaint festivals and funeral rites, all of which makes a visit to their habitation an interesting experience. |
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Highest-Calorie Menu Item at McDonald's? Not a Burger
Torn between a Big Mac and a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese?  Some chains, such as Panera Bread Co. (PNRA) and Au Bon Pain, already post calories on their menus, but McDonald's is the largest chain and the first fast-food company to do so on a national level. The push is part of an effort to get out ahead of federal menu-labeling requirements. There is a market need to it too—McDonald's want to convey to customers that its not just selling junk food. The company last year added apples to all of its kids' meals and made the servings of fries smaller. Some regional studies suggest that having nutritional information available when ordering a meal prompts people to buy healthier items. Other studies have found no such change in consumer behavior. But considering how prominent restaurants have become in the American diet, any change could have an effect on obesity rates. Americans now consume roughly a third of their calories from restaurants, up from less than a quarter in the 1970s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And people spend about half of their food budgets at restaurants now, compared to a third in the 1970s. A Stanford Graduate School of Business study found that when Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) began posting calorie information in its New York City stores in April 2008, as required by city law, customers ordered items containing 6% fewer calories on average per transaction. "If we see a similar effect from other chains you'd see about a 30-calorie per person per day decrease," said Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "The thing about obesity is it's caused by a slow, steady creep in people's weight over decades. For most of us, we're gaining one to two pounds per year steadily over decades and end up being 30 to 50 pounds overweight. The obesity epidemic is explained by about 100 extra calories per person per day, so if we get a daily 30-calorie decrease from menu labeling, that's huge."Shortly after Panera Bread posted calorie counts on its menu boards in April 2010, the company noticed that 20% of customers began ordering lower-calorie items."We think it's an important ingredient in respecting our customers and treating them as intelligent people who can make smart choices for themselves," Panera founder and co-CEO Ron Shaich said in an interview. But some caution that consumers in large numbers may not be swayed by the extra information.A report published last year in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, which reviewed seven studies on the topic, found that "calorie labeling does not have the intended effect of decreasing calorie purchasing or consumption." Even McDonald's hasn't yet noticed a comprehensive change in behavior in the cities and states that have already mandated calorie counts to be posted. "It hasn't seemed to have made a difference, but what it says to the customer is, 'We care about you and want to provide you with the most detailed information possible,' " McDonald's USA president Jan Fields said in an interview. New regulations requiring operators of restaurants with 20 or more outlets to post calories on menus are expected to take effect by the end of next year. Even if consumers aren't quick to change their buying habits, restaurants, in anticipation of the coming regulation, are doing the work for them. Numerous chains have either reformulated menu items to be healthier or have started steering consumers to lower-calorie choices. A study published last month in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that 26% of entrees at 37 restaurant chains studied in King County, Washington, had reduced calories 18 months after a menu-labeling law took effect there. California Pizza Kitchen Inc. has a "small plates" section on its menu, as does The Cheesecake Factory; Denny's Corp. has "Fit Fare"; Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, a unit of DineEquity Inc., has a menu featuring items under 550 calories, and McDonald's recently grouped several menu items under the heading "Favorites Under 400 Calories." Glenn Kikuchi, owner of 10 McDonald's franchises in Maryland, said he's already seen signs that the highlighted calorie counts are having an effect. |
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